Coconut Records "Davy"

This was released in January but I wanted to include it in my top ten list. Three years after his departure from Phantom Planet, musician/actor Jason Schwartzman returned to L.A.’s pop-loving circles with the solo project Coconut Records in 2003. Schwartzman is one of those rare breeds: an actor with musical talent that translates well. Sometimes this works (Zooey Deschanel) and sometimes it doesn’t (Scarlett Johansson). Well here on his sophomore effort Davy, it works really well. These are instantly catchy pop nuggets that recall Elliot Smith, The Beatles and Magnetic Fields. The relaxed “Microphone” highlights the hook filled and instrumental mini-symphony. The mid tempo “Any Fun” borders on Weezer like quirkiness with a Phil Spector touch. Schwartzman’s wavering vocals fit well into each composition, like the Ben Kweller flavored “Wandering Around”. My favorite here is the McCartney meets Brian Wilson bedroom melody “Saint Jerome” that floats through your head like “A Day In The Life.” Even a simple melancholy pop cut like “Courtyard” becomes a timeless daydreaming ballad. This is great pop song craft here and, it has found a spot on my ipod rotation that I can’t bring myself to remove. The Bonus: for a limited time it’s only five bucks at Aimee Street.

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